December 10, 2011

Integrating the Landscape

In 2008, the city has had the largest number of green rooftops in the country. Chicago has appeared on many 'top green cities' lists. For example, EarthLab Foundation named Chicago as the greenest city in the country. In Popular Science’s February 8, 2008 issue, Chicago ranked #9 out of fifty greenest U.S. cities.

In order to receive this distinction both private and public entities must earn the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certificate. LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system, providing third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies intended to improve performance in metrics such as energy savings and water efficiency.

Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council(USGBC), LEED is intended to provide building owners and operators a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.

Lake View 'green' movement is trying to take Chicago's lead in the creation of new construction into 'green' planned developments. Three buildings in Lake View have earned LEED certificates.

2011Uncommon Ground on Devon Avenue was voted by the Green Restaurant Association as the greenest restaurant in Chicago. In 2009 the owners of Uncommon Ground created the first organic rooftop garden in most of their establishments in U.S. Uncommon passed 116 environmental steps earning it a four-star rating, 365 green points and taking the No. 1 spot in seven categories.But WAIT ... the Uncommon Ground on Clark within LakeView won the second spot with their own rooftop garden. It is has this 'farm-to-table' tradition with a lot of the produce served being grown directly above the diners, on the roof. Very Cool!

Lake View has a plan to promote greener and a more friendlier atmosphere for citizens and businesses alike - LAMP. LakeView's Master Plan and itspromoters 'green-ways' and 'people spots' along commercial streets.

The 'Lake View Area Master Plan' is series of relatively small-scale fixes that planners hope will add up to creating a more attractive neighborhood. What's unusual is the plan doesn't come from City Hall planners, but from the Lake View Chamber of Commerce which administers the neighborhood's Special Service Area 27, a locally-managed business improvement district funded by property taxes levied within the area.' - a WBEZ articleWith this link is a YouTube view of the Master Plan.

People Spots are temporary platforms adjacent to sidewalks, typically within existing parking lanes. By expanding the sidewalks, they create seasonal space for outdoor seating and dining. As a place-making tool, they also contribute to an increase of pedestrian volumes and help promote economic development in retail corridors according to the City of Chicago 'Make Way for People' program. View and read this article from StreetsBlog Chicago.

According to Southport Corridor News & Events a neighborhood organization - South Lake View Neighbors, voted against a street/sidewalk design installation that apparently had more negatives during its less than one year existence in this very traffic dense location.

an iconic photo - DNAinfo

This urban design began in April 2015 that apparently

looked good on paper and theory according to Next City:inspiring better cities. The aim of such projects is to "calm" traffic, slowing vehicles and making conditions safer for cyclists and people on foot. It also aims to boost business by creating more inviting outdoor spaces according to an article from the Chicago Tribune. The project, according to Vitaliy V Vladimirov, "was voted on & paid for by

Lincoln Avenue businesses. Maybe its not perfect, but it improves the intersection & highlights the nice shops along the otherwise a bland stretch of Lincoln". Moss Design,an architectural companylocated in Lake Viewhad an opinion on the controversial integration to the landscape.

photo - Southport Corridor News & Events

The issues for the local community were backed-up traffic in the intersection, increase pedestrian safety, ambulance & emergency vehicle access on Wellington Avenue, traffic pattern delays, increasing length of traffic light on Southport Avenue, and remove the snow during the Winter months.

'The 'Lakeview Low-Line' re-envisions the half-mile space
beneath the CTA elevated tracks between the Southport and Paulina stations as
an exciting Chicago art destination and a fun and dynamic path connecting Lake
View. To activate this underutilized space, mural walls along the walkway will
play host to rotating art exhibits, creating a larger-than-life outdoor
gallery. An interactive light installation along the length of the path will
playfully celebrate the ‘L’ structure, creating a quintessentially Chicago experience.
And new greenspace and plazas will beautify the neighborhood and provide
opportunities for programming.'

Post Note: Chicago has the largest green-friendly building in the Midwest. The Green Exchange is the hub of the green economy in the Midwest, and your resource when you're looking for information and referrals to help incorporate sustainable practices into your personal & professional lives.

'If Chicago had solar panels on all 328,000 roofs, we could produce an astounding 4400 megawatts of electricity. To put that in perspective, that would provide electricity to 3.3 million homes and cut 4.2 million metric tons in carbon dioxide emissions per year, the equivalent of 881,000 cars on the road.' - per this article link above.

Important Note: These posts are exclusively used for educational purposes. I do not wish to gain monetary profit from this blog nor should anyone else without permission for the original source - thanks!

Narrative & Navigation

This has been a passion of mine for several years. This passion began with a simple inquiry of an ornate gate that surrounds a parking lot on my street. This singular inquiry lead me to learn everything I could online about the history of my neighborhood - Lake View, one of the 77 neighborhoods within the City of Chicago. Consider this topical blog as an online library of information for educators like myself who intend to teach others about this historical & robust corner of Chicago. I hope you enjoy the read and add any type of comments at the end of each post. I have a Facebook presence called 'LakeView Historical'.